1. Technical Field
One aspect of the present invention generally relates to a remanufactured part core return process and system.
2. Background Art
Remanufactured part programs rely on the cheap availability of quality used parts, otherwise referred to as cores, to be remanufactured. Brokers and junkyards collect cores in high volume industries, for example, the automotive industry. However, this supply is often unreliable and costly. Oftentimes, the core shipment includes several cores having one or more defects, e.g. rusting, denting and/or corrosion. Moreover, in many cases, the availability of cores for remanufacturing operations is an issue. Many new part production plants routinely sell excess production or defective parts (which are often sold to and used by competitors), rather than holding these parts for later use as cores in remanufacturing operations, thereby increasing manufacturing costs.
In attempting to solve the core availability and quality issues, some part sellers have implemented reverse distribution processes which typically require several distributors, in some cases, hundreds of distributors, of new parts to pick up and return old cores. Customers of the part sellers willingly return old cores in order to obtain a refund of deposits, which were collected when they purchased new parts.
While partially addressing the core availability and quality issues, managing the return and crediting processes, especially through hundreds of return points, is relatively expensive. On some parts, the relative high cost of collecting and returning cores precludes the use of a remanufacturing program. To lower remanufacturing costs, some manufacturers enforce core pickup rules on their distributors, which typically require the distributors to pick up only non-defective cores from customers, and/or negotiate the amount of deposit refund to pay customers depending on the condition of the cores. These pickup rule programs may cause dissatisfaction in retail outlets, which have difficulty collecting refunds, and in distribution outlets, which are caught in the middle. Some manufacturers pass increased core handling costs of the cumbersome return process on to customers. In recent years, only 70% of United States automotive dealers on average were satisfied with the core return practices of the automotive OEMs.
Moreover, the shear number of distributors needed for a typical reverse distribution process produces relatively high handling and transportation costs.
In light of the foregoing, a method and system for returning remanufactured part cores is needed. What is also needed is a computer-implemented method and system for returning remanufactured part cores.